Primer

AM Best Rating Guide

What the grades mean, why A− or better is our floor, and how to verify any carrier yourself.

What it is: AM Best is the dominant independent rating agency for insurance companies, founded in 1899. Their financial strength rating tells you how likely a carrier is to meet its obligations to policyholders — in plain terms, whether the company will still be around to pay your contract decades from now.

A− GetSure's minimum carrier rating for fixed annuity recommendations.

A++ AM Best's highest financial strength rating.

90+ Common Comdex benchmark for broadly strong carrier ratings.

The rating scale

AM Best ratings run from A++ (Superior) down to F (In Liquidation). The rating reflects the insurer's balance sheet strength, operating performance, business profile, and enterprise risk management — not just current profitability.

Rating	Category	What it means
A++	Superior	Exceptional ability to meet obligations. Top tier.
A+	Superior	Very strong ability to meet obligations.
A	Excellent	Strong ability to meet obligations.
A−	Excellent	Good ability to meet obligations. GetSure floor.
B++	Good	Adequate ability. Below our floor.
B+	Good	Adequate ability. Below our floor.
B	Fair	Marginal ability. Below our floor.
B−	Fair	Marginal ability.
C++ / C+ / C	Marginal / Weak	Vulnerable.
D	Poor	Very vulnerable.
E / F	Under regulatory supervision / In liquidation	Do not buy.

Why GetSure draws the line at A−

A− is the bottom of "Excellent." It's the rating at which AM Best still considers a carrier to have a good ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations. Below A−, the category shifts to "Good" (B++/B+) and "Fair" (B/B−) — which sound fine in everyday English but signal a meaningfully higher risk of financial stress in the insurance world.

Some fixed annuity products from B-rated carriers advertise higher rates. The extra 25-50 basis points of yield is essentially the market pricing in the additional risk. We don't think that's a good trade for a retiree's principal, which is why our rate table filters those products out.

What the rating doesn't tell you

It's not a credit score for bonds. AM Best rates insurers specifically; Moody's, S&P, and Fitch rate the same companies for bond investors. Ratings can differ slightly across agencies.
It's not live-updated. Ratings are reviewed annually. A carrier's true financial position can change faster than its rating.
It doesn't guarantee performance. It's a probability assessment — not a promise. A single A-rated company can still run into trouble, though it's rare.

How to check a carrier yourself

Go to AM Best. Open ambest.com and use the company search.
Search the legal name. Use the carrier's full legal name, such as "Athene Annuity and Life Company," not just the brand name.
Find the financial strength rating. Check both the rating and the outlook: Stable, Positive, or Negative.
Check freshness. A rating affirmation older than 18 months is worth noting before you rely on it.

A quick sanity check: When a brochure or comparison site says "A-rated," verify it. Some sources count B++ or B+ as "A-rated" loosely. The actual rating should be visible on the carrier's own website and on AM Best directly.

One more signal: Comdex

Comdex isn't an AM Best rating — it's a composite score from 1-100 that blends AM Best, Moody's, S&P, and Fitch into a single number. Financial planners often cite Comdex as a more holistic view of carrier strength. A Comdex of 90+ generally means the carrier is rated highly by all the major agencies. It's a useful cross-check when you're deciding between two A-rated carriers.